Figure 3
Effect of chronic Hypericum perforatum treatment on corticosterone-induced behavioral changes. (A) Effects of 3 weeks of Hypericum perforatum treatment, beginning after 4 weeks of corticosterone administration, on anxiety behaviors in OF. Anxiety is calculated as mean of the total time in the center in seconds. Exogenous chronic corticosterone treatment decreased the time spent in the center of arena. This anxiety phenotype was reversed by chronic administration of Hypericum perforatum. Values plotted are mean ± SEM (N = 8 per group). * p < 0.05, ° p < 0.05, § p < 0.05 versus vehicle group, corticosterone/vehicle group, and Hypericum perforatum/vehicle group, respectively. (B) Regarding the number of crossing, cort- and cort+ mice did not show differences after chronic corticosterone administration; exogenous Hypericum perforatum administration did not modify this parameter. Values plotted are mean ± SEM (N = 8 per group). (C) In the NSF paradigm, exogenous chronic corticosterone administration increased the latency to feed; this phenotype was reversed by chronic administration of Hypericum perforatum. Values plotted are mean ± SEM (N = 8 per group). * p < 0.05, ° p < 0.05, versus control group and corticosterone/vehicle group, respectively. (D) In the FST chronic corticosterone administration had no effect, while Hypericum perforatum treatment decreased the immobility time in both cort- and cort+ group. Values plotted are mean ± SEM (N = 8 per group). * p < 0.05, ° p < 0.05, versus control group and corticosterone/vehicle group, respectively.